Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-02-26
PoST-BELLUM INCIDENTS.
a Few Oddities Developed By Visit to
the War apartment

As a Star reporter entered the office
of War Department official the Other
day, he was struck by the appearance
and voice of a visitor who was just tax
ing his leave. He was a heavy-set man,
with an intelligent face, dark brown
hair and heavy mustache, and appar-
emily between As and so years OF age.
The reporters first impression was that
no was military officer Of some promi-
hence, but rs he babe the official good
day" there was very perceptible for
eign accent in bis speech.
"Was that an army oficer?" asked
the reporter after the door had closed
npon the departing visitor.
"No," replied the official, II never
saw him before that I know OF, but he
has Just related to me very interesting
story"
Il am just in the humor for story"
said the reporter.
"well, my visitor is Swede. Dur
ing the rebellion he left his home In
Sweden, a young man. to come to this
country to fight for h..rty. He was a
man of means, and was actuated simply
by heroic motives. Upon arriving here
he at once enlisted in New.York regi-
ment and was sent South. His regi-
ment, as remember it. was rather q
hard one, composed mainly of French
and Germans, of pretty rough class,
with officers not much better. At New
Orleans the young Swede's abilities were
quickly recognized, and he was given
clerical work. In short time he was
taken very ill with chronic diarrhes,
and when almost at deaths door he was
shipped north on O sixty days furlough.
That was in the summer. He did not
improve much, and as cold weather ap-
preached the doctors advised him to
seek q warmer climate. He was entire
~ ignorant of military regulations, and
Ieing DESTROYS only Of saving his life
he msde his way, he says, to Havana.
There he was under the care OF physi-
cian who was in some way connected
with the United States Consulate. By
the time he regained his health the war
was over. ] think he then went back
to Sweden; ct any rate he didn't return
to this country again until few days
ago, when he came to New York to
engage in business. Imagine his sur
prise when he lear led that his name is
recorded as that of deserter. His
mission here is to clear himself
of that stigma, 80 that no can
enter business with an unstained repu
tation. He says that he never received
Q cent from the government when he
was in the army, and did not even get
his bounty money. He doesn't care for
that, though, he says; all he wants is to
have his name cleared. don't know
anything about the truth or falsity of
his story, but he tells it very straight.
He will have to bring afidavits and
other proofs to establish it before his
case can be acted upon. only give you
the story as he related it to me just
now.
"Isuppose you have many strange war
incidents brought to your attention ?"
suggested the reporter.
"Oh, yes, lots Of them" was the re-
ply. II have in mind now the case Of Q
man who was reported as killed in
action, but who turned up few years
ago at reunion of his regiment like q
ghost among his comrades, who had
never heard word about him since the
memorable battle when he was shot. 1t
was at the second battle of Bull Run, I
think. He was cavalryman, and rode
In the front ranks in charge. He was
shot from his horse at the beginning Of
the charge, and the whole regiment
passed over him. There was no doubt
about his death, and that his body
was not found occasioned no surprise.
As he tells the stery, he knew moth
ing until he regained conscious
ness, two or three months later, out in
Michigan, being cared for by some
strangers who had taken him in. He
was q physical wreck, and when l saw
him he looked like Q regular Quilp.
He was all twisted and torn out Of
shape Is if he had been blown up in .
boiler explosion and patched up after
wards. He wandered about for several
years, and finally visited his former
home. He found that his wife, believ-
ing him dead, had married again. He
didn trouble her, but continued trav-
cling about until finally he gained the
friendship Of q well-to-do man, and
with him he made his home, finally
marrying one of his daughters. After
his appearance at the reunion of his reg
iment he brought his case before the
department to have his record cor.
rected and to secure the pension which
he claimed on account of his wounds"
The ttrangest incident within my
recollection, continued the official, twas
connected with the death OF o colored
soldier. Both his widow and his mother
claimed q pension. The widow swore
that this man, her husband, died in
Tennessee in 1862 of the smallpox, but
that his mother was not living at the
time Of his death nor even several years
before. The mother claimed that thi,
man, her son, died in 1864 of small
pox in Tennessee; that she had re-
peatedly seen him between 1862 and
1854, but that her son had never been
married. Now, that was q nice snarl
to untangle, for both women were evil
IDENTIFY telling the truth. There was a
record of the man in question, according
to which he was enlisted at certain
date in that regiment and company, and
died of smallpox in 1864. But there
rps also strong evidence that he died
1862 Of smallpox"